Spaghetti with beans and tomatoes

The River Café team demonstrated this at Sarah’s cookery school some years ago and she’s made it many times during the summer ever since — perfect when the garden is full of beans and tomatoes.

Serves 6

1kg tomatoes — plum or small beefsteak

300g French beans, topped and tailed

Salt

150ml carton double cream

1 garlic clove, whole and peeled

Handful of basil leaves

400g spaghetti

50g grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Skin the tomatoes, deseed with a teaspoon and chop them coarsely. Cook the beans in plenty of salted boiling water for 3 minutes until they are just tender. Cool them quickly in a bowl of cold water and drain.

Bring the cream to the boil and add the garlic. Take the pan off the heat and leave the cream to steep for 5 minutes before removing the garlic.

Then add the beans, tomatoes and torn-up basil, and toss just for a minute to warm the veg through.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and mix with the tomatoes and beans. Serve it with freshly grated Parmesan.